Water-shed for acetylene-generators.



A. S. PHELPS.

WATER SHED FOR ACETYLENE GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-9.1914;

1,138,685. Patented May 11, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHom-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D. c

ALGEBNON S. PHELPS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATER-SHED FOR ACETYLENE-GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Original application filed September 17, 1909, Serial No. 518,168. Divided and. this application filed. October 9, 1914. Serial No. 865,871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALGERNON S. PHELPS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ater-Sheds for Acetylene-Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas generators and in particular to acetylene generators.

The principal object of the invention is to provide means on the carbid magazine or feed hopper of an acetylene generator for preventing moisture condensed on the sides of the magazine from flowing down and dripping upon or into the carbid feed mechanism arranged at the lower end of the magazine or hopper, and thereby to avoid accidental hydration of any carbid being fed from the magazine. In the ordinary operation of an acetylene generator there is always considerable condensation on the sides of the carbid magazine from the steam generated by the heat of the reaction between the carbid and the water into which it is fed from the magazine.

In a practical embodiment of the invention, the means for preventing condensed moisture from dripping into the carbid feeding mechanism comprises a trough-like water shed or gutter encircling'the lower part of the feed hopper in the form of an annulus, located somewhat above the discharge outlet of the hopper, and inclined more or less from the horizontal toward a spout at one side through which intercepted water may be discharged laterally and away from the carbid feed device. It is especially advantageous to form this annular intercepting trough integral with the carbid hopper, as by casting it therewith, in order that there may be no possible crevices between the trough and the sides of said hopper through which water of condensation might find its way along the hopper sides to the carbid discharge outlet and thence to the carbid contained in the feed device.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention as applied to a carbid magazine provided with automatic carbid feeding mechanism of the type disclosed and claimed in my application Serial Number 518,168, filed September 17, 1909, (now Patent No.

in a substantially circular arc.

1,122,152, of December 22, 1914,) copending herewith, of which the present applicatlon is a division. It is to be understood, however, that the invention hereinafter claimed is not limited in its application to carbid magazines having the particular feeding mechanism here illustrated.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of a carbid magazine equipped with typical carbid feeding mechanism, the conical hopper being provided with a water shed constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a central section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 7' is a carbid magazine of which only a small part of the upper cylindrical portion is here shown.- The conical hopper 1" converges downwardly to a discharge chute or outlet j a shield 7' being suitably supported within the hopper and above the chute to partly relieve the carbid in the chute from the pressure of the carbid stored in the upper part of the magazine.

The carbid feeding mechanism here shown by way of example comprises the feed shoe 7c counterweighted at 72 and supported by the yoke Z2 which is pivoted on the rod 72 so that the feed shoe swings below and a short distance from the mouth of the chute fi Arms extending upwardly and forwardly on the shoe on either side of the discharge lip Z2 support a thin plate is curved This plate is mounted at a suflicient distance above the shoe is to enable it to reciprocate across the mouth closely contiguous thereto; and, being in front of the discharge lip 70 of the shoe, the plate occupies a position beneath the mouth 70 when the shoe is is withdrawn toward the right. Thus, when the feed shoe is swung to the right, the plate 7e moves across and covers the mouth 70*, acting as a cut off to prevent flow of carbid from the magazine. A stop 72 limits the extreme swing of the feed shoe by abutment against the lower face of the magazine.

A T-shaped lever m is pivotally connected with the shoe at m and on its head is provided with an escalloped' or recessed face against which is arranged to bear an actuating member controlled by the movements of the gasometer bell of the generator. This actuating mechanism forms no part of the present invention and it is not deemed necessary to illustrate the same here.

On the lower face or hopper portion of the magazine, and a suitable distance above the discharge mouth 70, is arranged the water shed n, here illustrated as in the form of an annular rib cast integral with the hopper and encircling the same. This rib is grooved at n on its upper side to form an intercepting trough or gutter; and the whole rib is arranged at a slight incline from the horizontal, sloping gently toward a discharge lip or spout 77? extending somewhat beyond the feed shoe and the cut off. This water shed serves to prevent moisture condensed on the outer magazine walls from flowing down to the mouth 70 and dropping from the edges thereof upon the carbid in the feed shoe. Such'water of condensation is intercepted by the water shed and is discharged at n away from and out of contact with the carbid feeding mechanism.

The generating chamber within which the carbid magazine is located in practice may be of any well-known or suitable type; but since the present invention is not concerned with the particular form of generating chamber employed, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate the latter herein.

What I claim is:

1. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a carbid magazine and carbid feeding mechanism, of means to conduct water of condensation away from the feeding mechanism comprising a rib formed integral with the lower part of the magazine, and extending around the same at an inclination to the horizontal.

2. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a carbid magazine and carbid feeding mechanism, of means to conduct water of condensation away from the feeding mechanism comprising a rib formed integral with the lower part of the magazine and extending around the same at an inclination to the horizontal, said rib having a groove in its upper surface and a discharge at its lower side.

3. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a carbid magazine and carbid feeding mechanism, of means to conduct water of condensation away from the feeding mechanism comprising a rib formed integral with the lower surface of the magazine and extending around the same at an inclination to the horizontal, said rib being formed as an annulus and having a groove in its upper surface with a discharge lip at its lower side.

4:. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a caroid magazine having a low er conical surface, and carbid feeding mechanism arranged beneath said magazine, of an annular rib cast on the lower conical sur face of the magazine and extending around the same at an inclination to the horizontal, said rib having a groove in its upper surface with a discharge lip at its lower side.

5. In an acetylene generator, the combination, with a carbid magazine having a discharge mouth and a carbid feeding mechanism arranged therebelow, of a trough formed integral with said magazine and encircling the same at a location somewhat above said discharge mouth, said trough being arranged to intercept moisture flowing down the magazine walls and to prevent access of the same to the feeding mechanism.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

ALGERNON S. PHELPS. Witnesses:

LEWIS T. Gnnisr, MILTON T. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

